Grabhook



Jan. 15, 1929.

J. RIEL GRAB HOOK Filed May 9, 1927 :.mlLllIlllli Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH RIEL, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH DILLMAN, OF STRASBURG, NORTH DAKOTA.

GRABHOOX.

Application filed May 9, 1927. Serial N0. 189,880.

This invention ielates to grab hooks.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved grab h'ook comprising a pair of tong-like members and a single handle grip for holding the device to operate the saine.

lt is another object of the invention to provide in combination with a pair of tongs ladapted to engage the sides of an article,

.means for cainming down on the upper sur-- face of the article to prevent pivotal swing'- ing movement of the article about the tonglilze members in one direction.

It. is a further object to provide means for readily releasing such a device from the article held thereby.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the follow-ing description made in connection with the accompanying` drawings, wherein lil-:e reference characters refer to the saine or similar parts throughout the various views and, in which,

F'g. 1 is a view in front elevation of one embodiment of the present invention applied to an article;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the device illustrated in Fig. l, certain ot the partsA being illustrated `in full lines in one position and in dotted lines in another position; j

Fig. 3- is a horizontal section 'taken on the line 3--3 ot Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows, and

Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation of a modilie'd form ot theinvention.

Referring to the drawings, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the device consists generally of a head, a pair of hook arms pivoted to the head and adapted to engage, in a tong-like manner, opposite sides of an article to be held, a single handle grip and a cani attached to the handle grip and adapted to be swung to bear 'down on the top surface; of an article held by the hook arms; The head consists of a stud. 5, a pair of ears 6 and a pair of nuts', securing the ears on the stud. The stud 5' has thread- Ved portions 5a at each end thereof, squared portions- 5" inwardly from portions 5a and a central cylindrical portion 5c. Ears @have squared holes extending through the upper portions and through which the squared portions 5b of the stud 5 project. rlhe cylindrical portion 5c ot stud" 5 is of greater diameter than the diameters. of the, squared portions 5b and, accordingly, shoulders. are formed between the. portions 5b and the cylindrical portion 5c against which the inner Sides *of the upper ends of the ears 6 abut. The ears are held on the stud 5 by means of the nuts 7 screwed on to the threaded portions 5a of the stud. The. cars project downwardly from their upper ends and are preferably cylindrically termed at their lower portions. Each of the ears 16 is centrallyslot-ted at its lower edge to receive the upper end of one of the oppositely disposed and oppositely curvedhook arms 8, the hook arms beingr respectively pivotally mounted in the lower portions of respective ears 6 on pivots 9 ex tending through the ears, and both hook arms being freely swingable in substantially the same plane, the upward and outward swinging movement of each hook arm being limited by the end ot the slots formed inthe ears 6. The. lower ends of the hook arms 8 are pointed and are outwardly bent at 8 in the saine direction. An oval-shaped camv 1() is providedv projecting downwardly betweenthe two ears 6, the said cam being pivotally mounted on the cylindrical portion 5c of stud 5 by an apertured ear 10 formedV integral with the cam adjacent one upper end thereof. Formed integral'with4 the ear 1()a` and projecting upwardly therefronii is a bolt 11 upon which a handle grip 12 is journaled. A

ln the device illustrated in F ig. 4, the-com struction is the saine as that shownin Figs. 1, Q and and above described with the exception that hook arms 13 are substituted ior the hook arms 8 and aresiniilar in all respects to hook arms S except that they are made straightat their ends and not bent outwardly. Also in the construction,illustrated in Fig. 4, the cam 10 is not used, and another type of handle is substitutedV for the handle 12 and bolt 11. The handle construction used in Fig, 4 comprises a substantially Y-shaped bracket 14 having an opening at its lower end through which the cylindrical portion 5 of stud 5 tits, a set screw 15 being provided for rigidly securing the bracket 14 to the stud 5. A pivot 16 extends through the. upper ends of bracket 14 and has journaled thereon a grip portion 17. j

Theoperation of the invention, although probably obvious, can be readily described. Referring to the device illustrated in Figs. 1', 2 and 3, the operator will grasp the handle grip l2 with one hand and will swing the device upwardly so that the hook arms 8 will extend upwardly and will tall by gravity until swung to their outermost position, the outer swinging movement thereof being limited by the ends of the slots formed the cars 6. The device will then be rapidly swung downwardly by the operator in such manner that the hoolr arms 8 will embrace the sides et' an article to be held the article fr and will be thrown against the sides of thearticle with considerable torce so that the pointed ends 8 oi' the hook arms will project into the sides of the article a short distance and will hold the article in tong-like manner. he handl l2 will then be swung' from a substantially ertical position as illustrated in full lines Fig. to a position substantially similar to that illustrated in dotted lines F ig. 2, tiereby causing the cam l0 to bear down on the top surt'ace et the article. By holding the cam l() pressed downwardly on the top surface or the article in this manner, the pivotal swinging' movement -of the article about the point-s 8 oit the hook armsv 8 will be prevented in one direction, provided that the article is stationary or that the right end of the article, as viewer in Fig. 2, is held. rllhe lett end of the article, as view-ed in Fig. Q, can now be move-d, swung or otherwise worked upon, the grab hook affording a convenient means for holding the lett end of the article 'for such purposes. lNhen now it is desired to detach the grab 'hook .trom the article, this may be readily done by simply moving the upper end of the handle 11' to the left, as viewed in Fig. 2,and at the same time jerking the handle to the lett, thereby releasing cam l0 and jerking' the pointed ends 8 of the hook arms 8 out ot engagement with the sides ot 'the article. Due to the fact that. the ends et, the hook arms dare outwardly bent at 8 'from the main portions thereo'l, the device can be readily released from the article without the necesity ol grasping each hook arm 8 aud nilliug the same apart.

Une use oi' the device, which the inventor contemplates and wherein the device is particularly ellective, is in the handling ot railroad ties. These ties are of great weight and must be ottencarried from one place to another by workmen. The ties are usually carried on the shoulder oli the workmen 'from place to place. One end ot the tie is usually tiret placed against the shoulder of the worlrman, the other end resting on the ground. lt then becomes necessary to pull the ground y end of the tie upwardly so that the tie will balance in substantially a horizontal plane on the workmans should-ers. To do this has hitherto been very ditlicult. By use ot the present device, the workman simply holds the grab hoolr of the present invention in one hand, raises the same upwardly and throws the hook arms downwardly over the sides of the, tie, whereupon by moving the handle l2 towards his body, he may readily swing the ground end of the tie upwardly and arrange the same on his shoulder in horizontal position. Jillian then he desires to drop his tie, he merely gives the handle a quick tor 7ard jerk, thereby releasing the device from the tie.

The chief use of the modification illustrated in Fig. il, is as a pair of tongs for the handling of ice, bales ot hay or similar articles. ln this -term ot the device, the handle is 'formed rigidly with the head and the operator holding the device in one hand simply raises the me upwardly,L causing the hook arms 13 to swing downwardly and then rapidly swings the handle downwardly causing the. hooks 13 to be thrown into the sides ot the article. There will be no necessity for pressing the two hooli: arms i3 together as is the case in the common. type ot ice tongs, and but one hand of the operator will be needed in engaging and lifting the article.

Both 'forms el' the invention are oi" simple and easy construction are eilleient and simple in operation. Tit will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the Jrorm, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of the present invention, which, generally stated, Consists in the mat-ter shown and described andset forth in the anpended claims.

lVhat is claimed is:

l. A grab hook comprising a stud having polygonal-shaped intermediate portions and a cylindrical central portion,a cam pivoter to said cylindrical portion and depending,

downwardly therefrom, ears mounted on said polygonal-shaped portions andl Vent i ling downwardly therefrom, a pair ot oppositely disposed hoolz arms pivoted at their upper ends in the lower ends oit said ears and having pointed lower ends, and means secured to said cam for swing" the same in a plane normal to the plane of swinging movement of said arms.

2. A grab hook comprising, a head and a pair oi hook arms pivoted in said head tor opposite swinging movement in si'ibstantiallav the same plane, said arms having pointed lower ends Jracing each other, a cam extending between the upper ends ot said arms and mounted for swinging movement in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of movement of said arms, and a handle secured to said cam, whereby said grab hook can be held by said handle in upwardly raised 'Dosition with the pointed ends of said hoolr arms spread apart and can then be swung rapidly downwardly to throw the pointed ends of said hook arms violently into opposite sides of an article, and the cam may be swung downwardly to bear against the top surface of the article and" react against the pointed ends of said hook arms.

3. The structure defined in Claim 2, the pointed lower ends of said hook arms being bent laterally in respect to the plane of swinging movement of said arms7 whereby es the grab hook is swung downwardly from raised position,l the direction in which said pointed ends project will correspond to the main line of force exerted on said arms and whereby 10 said larms may be readily released from an engaged article.

vIn testimony whereof I afx my signature.

JOSEPH RIEL. 

